By akademiotoelektronik, 03/07/2022

Cameroon: The telecom regulator is invited to the conflict between Orange, MTN and Express Union on Mobile Money

(Agency Ecofin) - Philémon Zoo Zame, the director general of the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART), has engaged in an important epistolary activity on the day of October 19.

In three letters addressed, the same day, at the CEO of Orange Cameroon and MTN Cameroon, the regulator of the telecoms sector in the country has enjoined the two leaders of the mobile market, to make arrangements aimed at guaranteeing "equalityTreatment of customers/partners by operators, and the maintenance of conditions allowing healthy and loyal competition "on the Mobile Money service which is at the center of a conflict between Orange and MTN to Express Union.

Concretely, after having received "complaints of anti -competitive practices" emanating from Express Union, art invites the CEO of Orange Cameroon to "restore short numbers 8080 and 8081", as well as "reconsideration of the costaccess to the USSD portal *050#”.

For its part, MTN Cameroon is summoned to carry out the "complete recovery of the USSD *050#" portal.The code at the center of this discord, we learn from experts, allows any user of the services of Express Union Mobile Money to carry out financial operations on his account, from a mobile phone, whatever the operatormobile to which he is subscribed.

One month after the art injunction, only the 8080 and 8081 short numbers were restored by Orange, we learned from good sources.But, the two leaders in the mobile market drag on restoring the USSD *050#portal, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to bring back to the initial level the pricing of this code, which went from 20 to 153 FCFAAt Orange Cameroon, in particular.

So many attitudes behind which Express Union detects maneuvers aimed at plumber its Express Union Mobile Money service, for the benefit of Orange Money and MTN Mobile Money.Accusations that have always been refuted by the two mobile operators who, in unison, argue that they had never had any contract with Express Union on the Qurellé code.

"The USSD *050#code, which is a question, belongs to the company LMT, a value-added service provider with whom MTN had a contract-pilote for the delivery of customer services through said code.The contract expired and MTN informed LMT of its decision not to renew it and therefore, to no longer authorize the provision of services through the portal.In this regard, we have no dispute with our partner owner of the code in question, "defends MTN.

Brm

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14-07-2017-Cameroon: fierce competition on the Money mobile market arouses accusations of anti-competitive practices

24-07-2017-Cameroon: the government now wants to control the pricing of USSD codes by telecom operators